9
Hardly a week goes by without the Conservative government, with the subtlety of a dump truck, adding a delightful example to its control-freak highlight reel.
On the weekend came the news that the Conservatives have quietly killed a huge information registry used by Canadians to hold government accountable. The system, known as the Co-ordination of Access to Information Request System, has been discontinued because, Treasury Board officials said, it is no longer useful.
Last week, there was the charge from Auditor-General Sheila Fraser that the Tories were even trying to gag the officers of Parliament, herself included, who are supposed to be independent watchdogs.
Before that came the Keystone Kops thriller, a spectacular moment in the annals of spin control that saw the Prime Minister's men hightailing it down a fire escape in the Sheraton Hotel. They were trying to evade the journalist hordes who, on the Elections Canada imbroglio, had caught them, in flagrante delictu, giving select briefings to a favoured few.
Related Articles
On the question of silencing the watchdogs, Ms. Fraser blew the horn on the Stephen Harper crew in testimony at a Commons committee. She had caught wind about a draft proposal for a new communications strategy - or, as precision might have it, set of gag laws. The Privy Council Office, an arm of the Prime Minister's Office, would apparently be vetting her releases to the media. That, she stammered, was not going to happen. "I can tell you there is no way ..."
The government rushed in to assure everyone there must be a misunderstanding. This was not part of the new plan, said House Leader Peter Van Loan. But did the plan suddenly change overnight because Ms. Fraser belled the cat? Or was the vetting exercise not in the plan in the first place? Given the government's track record on the use of the muzzle, it is not exactly well positioned to receive the benefit of the doubt. We recall it once had plans for a new control-oriented media centre, only to back away after the plan got leaked and an uproar ensued.
One way to clear up the Fraser issue was for the Harperites simply to table their new communications draft proposal. "Here folks, read it. Decide for yourselves." But Mr. Van Loan wasn't prepared to do that.
When further pressed on the whole issue by Stéphane Dion, the House leader did one those answer-defying hairpin turns and started talking about economics. He said what Canadians should be concerned about are Liberal spending programs and deficits. The coup de grâce, to be sure.
But it was a dodge that was hardly in league with the Tory manoeuvres on the other story. At one point, they switched hotels. Originally, the briefing for the favoured few was to be at the Lord Elgin. But the excluded journalists caught on. So the Prime Minister's men moved it to the Sheraton, hoping the uninvited would languish in the Lord Elgin's lobby with nothing to do but drink soda.
Another option might have been the strategy employed at a party conference in Prince Edward Island last year. There, they called in the cops and had the media escorted out onto the streets.
In any case, their hotel ploy didn't work. The reporters showed up at the Sheraton anyway. One uninvited CBCer cum cameraman knocked on the door and was told to beat it. But by now other ingrates were invading the premises. Rather than be straight up - they're hardly the first government to try this kind of media manipulation - the PMOers headed for the fire escape.
One among them was the fiery Scot, Doug Finley. He is the one many in Ottawa point to as convincing the Prime Minister - if he needed convincing - to engage in the gutter politics that has alienated voters.
Liberal Mike Savage got up in the Commons on Thursday and charged that the PM's enemies' list was almost Nixonian in proportion. "MPs who oppose him are kicked out, non-partisan organizations have their funding cut, hardworking loyal public servants are fired, journalists who irritate him do not make the A list, parliamentary committees are shut down, financial incentives are offered to candidates, anyone who challenges him gets sued, opposition is not tolerated and opinions are not welcomed."
Mr. Savage was getting somewhat carried away. In response, Mr. Van Loan nailed him, like he did Mr. Dion, right between the eyes. He said his government was standing up for ordinary Canadians while the Grits were big spenders.
